In Your Soul
by Shining Friendship
Summary: What if Gideon Brodess went against the grain and told Harriet/Minty how he really felt about her? This is my alternate ending to the 2019 theatrical biopic of Harriet Tubman.


**A/N: I don't own anything.**

I went to see "Harriet" a few days ago. The theatrical biopic on Harriet Tubman isn't 100% historically accurate, nor does it really depict the cruelty of slavery in the South before the American Civil War, but it shows the emotional journey this heroic woman went through to free hundreds of slaves.

The thing that intrigued me most about this feature film was the complex relationship between Harriet & her owner's fictional son, Gideon Brodess. The pair grew up together, with Harriet even praying for him when he was ill as a boy. After his father's death, the Brodess family goes into debt and Gideon deals with a complicated mess of emotions—love, obsession, racism, financial struggle. Oddly enough, these emotions give the vile character a glimpse of humanity, despite every despicable thing his family & society has turned him into. He spends most of the movie pursuing Harriet, to the point where he's willing to lose everything just to get her back. Gideon even saves Harriet from Bigger Long, a black bounty hunter who nearly kills her towards the end of the film. However, I disagree with the controversy that Gideon represents "the white savior." He doesn't. He's a slave owner who's completely twisted, conflicted between loving a black woman during a time when society tells him that's a "no-no" and family duty/financial strife.

This is my alternate ending to the final Harriet/Gideon scene. Hope you all enjoy!

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Harriet's heart nearly skipped a beat when she heard the gunshot go off. Was this how she was going out? Gunned down by a ruthless bounty hunter who turned his back to his own people for what? Money and white whores?

"I said alive," came the familiar sound of Gideon's voice.

She turned her head and watched as Bigger Long's lifeless body fell to the ground from his headshot wound. Her former slave owner immediately refocused his attention on the young black woman he had spent years searching for. "It's time to go home, Minty."

"I ain't goin' back, Gideon!" she retorted, jumping down from the boulders and pointing her own gun on him. "Like I told ya before, I'mma be free or die."

"Wit the bounty on yer head, I'd say the latter is lookin' uh lot more likely."

Harriet pulled the safety back, prepared to do what needed to be done in order to escape again. "I'mma take my chances."

Realizing that she was serious about her threat, Gideon slowly lowered his rifle and tried to remain calm. "Ya wouldn't shoot me. Not after everythin' we been through together."

"Drop the gun!"

Gideon tossed his weapon aside and took a deep breath before she made her next demand.

"Off the horse! Get on yer knees!"

The blond swung off his white horse and put his arms up in a defensive position as he slowly got down on his knees.

"Why'd ya pray for me?" he asked, catching Harriet off guard. "The doctors told Daddy & Momma that I wasn't gonna make it, but ya still prayed. Ya stayed wit me the whole time, never left my side for uh second. Why?"

"Ya was uh little boy. My friend. What else was I supposed to do?"

"Ya saved me. God answered yer prayers and let me live because He listens to ya, doesn't He? Yer special. That's why I could never let Daddy sell ya."

"I ain't yer slave!" Harriet barked, her weakening resolve immediately disappeared. "I ain't yer pig, yer possession, or yer plaything! I am free!"

"Ya'll always be mine, Minty," Gideon cooed, taking pleasure in the way she reacted to him. "The distance don't matter. Doesn't mean uh damn thing to me and ya know it."

"Shut up!"

"Admit it. Ya and I… We been through too much together for ya to ever forget about me. I'm in yer soul and ya in mine."

"The only thing roamin' around in yer soul is the Devil."

Gideon smiled, intrigued by her spitfire attitude. "If that's true, then why are ya just standin' there? Shoot me."

"Don't tempt me."

"If ya don't pull the trigger now, somebody else probably will later."

The heroic abolitionist was once again surprised by her former master's words. "Why?"

"Ya know why."

"Stop playin' games wit me!"

"This ain't uh game. Not anymore."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

The blond removed his black hat and lifted himself from off the ground, walking towards Harriet and reaching his right hand out to lower her gun. With his body pressed up against her, his mouth so close that she could feel his warm breath on her dark skin, his blue eyes drank her in, devouring her with his sharp gaze.

"I thought ya were dead," Gideon whispered, causing her to shake with unease. "When ya jumped into the river that day, I thought I lost ya forever. Even had half uh mind to jump in there after ya. Almost couldn't believe it when yer sister told me that ya were alive. But I took it as uh sign from God. He gave me uh second chance. I'd move Heaven and Earth to get ya back. I didn't care what it took. Still don't."

"Why?" she pressed, somehow stunned into submission by his words.

"Ya know why," he repeated, caressing her cheek with his thumb until Harriet pushed his hand away.

"Stop it!"

"I can't," Gideon never faltered, grabbing her by the waist and grinding his strained manhood against her inner thigh so the picture couldn't be any clearer. "Pig or not, I want ya, Minty. Always have."

He cupped the back of her head and pulled her in for a kiss, only to be hit with whiplash when she slapped him hard across the face.

"Crazy bitch!" he hollered, touching the spot where it stung. "What the hell did ya do that for?!"

"Ya don't want me. Ya want to control me, but ya never could."

"This ain't about controllin' ya! It's about what's rollin' around in my heart!"

"Ya ain't got uh heart, Gideon."

"Maybe not for the rest of yer kind. It's different wit ya. The whole goddamn world is tellin' me what I feel for ya is sick! I could be shot or beaten to death, but I can't stop. Day and night, all I think about is ya. It's killin' me! That's why I can't let ya leave again witout hearin' the truth."

"Don't ya dare say it!"

"I love ya."

"No, ya don't," she shook her head, refusing to listen to him.

"Look me in the eye. Ya know it's true."

"It ain't!" Harriet spat angrily. "Ya just tryin' to confuse me so I will pity ya and go back."

"There is no goin' back. Only thing that matters to me now is ya."

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**Should I continue the story? Please review!**


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